Boring and excavating implement.



No. 629,539. Patented July 25, |899. J. BERTRAM.

BORING AND EXCAVATING IMPLEMENT.

(Application flied July 11, 1898A (No Model.)

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UNITED 'STATESl` A'PArnNr OFFICE.

JOHN BERTRAM, kOF DUNDAS, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-TI-IIRDS TO ALEXANDER H. BERTRAM, OF SAME PLACE, SAMUEL O. ROGERS, OF BUFFALO: NEV YORK, AND JAMES A. STIRLING, OF HAMILTON,

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BQRINGAND l-:xcAvA-irlNG IMPLEMENT'. L

s'PEcIFcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,539, dated .my 25, 1899. Appiitaion ata July 1'1, 189s. seria un. 685,609; oro man.;

T0 all whom t nza/y concern: 1

Be it known that I, J QHN BERTRAM, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Dundas, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements'in Boring and Excavating Implements, (for which I obtained a patent for the Dominion of Canada, No.l 59,626, dated April 13, 1898,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a boring ,tool or implement designed more especially for the use of miners, prospectors,and others form aking test-holes in frozen ground.

My invention has for its object to provide a tool of this kind which will thaw the earth and at the same time elevate or eject the thawed and loosened earth to the surface of the ground, thus enabling such holes or excavations to be expeditiouslymade.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved boring and excavating implement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection, on an enlarged scale, of the auger and the lower portion of its hollow shank. Fig. 3 is across-section in line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the `several figures.

A is the bit or auger of the implement, and B is a rotary tube or hollow shank, to the lower end of which the auger is secured, so as to turn with the shank,the latter being of greater length than the depth to which the ground is to bebored, so that its upper end projects above the surface of the ground. The auger consists of a longitudinal center tube or hollow core a and spiral cutting flanges or blades a', which taper toward the point of the auger. The center tube of the auger forms a conduit for a suitable heating Iiuid, such as steam, and is provided near its lower end with anumber of discharge-apertures a?, through which the steam issues against the surrounding earth for thawing the same. The lower end of the center tube is also open for the same purpose. -The anger-Hanges are preferably cast in one4 piece with the center tube a, and their upper portions, which'.y are substantially parallel with the axis of the hollow shank B, are rigidly connected with the shank by a collar or coupling C. This coupling is provided in its upper end with an internal screw-thread, which engages with'an external thread formed at the lower end of the tubular'shank lB and in its lower end with a similar screw-thread, which engages with external screw-threads formed on the upper portions of the auger-k anges, as shown atts in Fig. 2. Thev spaces between the upper portions of the 4augertlanges open into the coupling C, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the thawed and loosened earth is free to ascend between the ilanges into and through the tubular shank B under thepressure of the steam. The tubular shank B is provided with a handle D for turning it by hand, or, if desired, it may be rotated by power by any suitable mechanism. When the handle D is employed, the same is preferably made verticallyadj ustable on the shank by Va suitable clamp D', to permit the handle to be adjusted to the proper height for boring.

E is an elbow applied to the upper end of the tubular shank for discharging the elevated earth in a lateral direction.

F is a supply-pipe for the steam or other iiuid, which is arranged in the hollow shank and is connected to the upper end of the central tube a of the auger. This pipe extends upwardly through the elbow E, and its projecting upper end is connected by a hose or pipe G with a steam-boiler or other source of supply. The steam-supply pipe is provided at or near its junction with the hose G with a union or universal coupling'H, which permits the main portion ofthe supply-pipe to turn with the auger-shank B and theauger, independently of the hoseG, which latter is stationary.

earth and thaws the same, and the spiral flanges of the auger loosen thethawed earth outer tube or shank from becoming clogged.

During the boring operation the upper por-l tion of the tubular shank B may be supported and steadied by a suitable framework or trestle erected over the place to be excavated.'

By iitting` the upper portion of the auger and the lower end ol the hollow shank within the coupling-collar Clthe latter projects beyond the surface of the shank and the edge of the auger-blades, thus forming an obstruction which prevents the escape of steam between the shank and the wall of the bored hole. By this construction the coupling also produces a hole of larger diameter than the j auger-shank B,.thus reducing the friction of the descending implement and enabling the same to 'be operated more easily.

My improved tool is very simple in construction and greatly expedites the boring of testholes, especially in regions 'where the ground is frozen Vto a considerable depth. It is obvious, however, that the tool is equally useful for boring in unfrozen ground, as the steam excavating feature of the tool enables an excavation to be made much more rapidly than with an ordinary auger.

I .claim as my inventionl. A boring and excavating implement,com prising a tube or hollow shank provided with means for turning it, a bit or auger secured to the lower end of said tube and composed of a central tube provided at or near its lower endwith one or more steajn-escape openings and spiral blades or flanges arranged around said central tube and 'tapering downwardly to form the point of the auger, the spaces between the upper portions of said blades Opeliin g into said hollow shank,and a steam-supply pipe extending through said hollow shank and connected at its lowei end with the central tube of the auger, substantially as set forth.

2. Aborin g and excavatin'gimplement,con1- prising a tube or hollow shank provided with means for turning it, va bit or auger secured to the lower end of said tube and. composed of a central tube provided at or near its lower end with one or more stema-escape openings and spiral blades or flanges arranged around j said central tube and tapering downwardly to form the point of the auger, anda steamsupply pipe extending through said hollow shank and connected at its lower end with the central tube of the auger and provided outside of said hollow 'shank with a' union or coupling for connecting the same with a stationary su ppl y-pipe,substantial1y as set forth.

3. A boring and excavatingimplement,com prsin g an outer tu be or hollow shank through which the loosened earth is discharged upwardly, an auger composed of a central tube having one or. more steam-outlets at or near its lowerend and downwardly-tapering spiral blades arranged around said tube,a couplingcollar connecting the upper ends of said spiral blades with the lower end of said hollow shank and projecting laterally beyond said parts, and a steam-supply pipe extending through said shank and connected at its lower end with the central tube of the auger, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this lthday of June, 1898.

JOHN BERTRABI. Witnesses:

THOMAS HrcKnY, FRANK CRONIN. 

